Plural compartment window container and blank therefor



C. E- PALMER June 1; 1 965 PLURAL COMPARTMENT WINDOW CONTAINER AND BLANK THEREFOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 6, 1963 INVENTOR. CHARLES EPALMER A r TORNEY C. E. PALMER June 1, 1965 PLURAL COMPARTMENT WINDOW CONTAINER AND BLANK THEREFOR Filed Aug. 6, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. CHARLES E. PALMER flan/25;

ATTORNEY 1 June 1, 1965 c. E. PALMER 3,186,622

PLURAL COMPARTMENT WINDOW CONTAINER AND BLANK THEREFOR Filed Aug. 6, 1963 s Sheets-Shee t s INVENTOR. CHARLES E. PALMER /Z I 1w ATTORNEY overlapping side margins.

United States Patent 0 PLURAL (IGF/IPARTMENT WENDUW CON'IARNER AND BLANK THEREFOR I E The present invention relates to window containers, and more particularly to a novel plural compartment window container and the blank therefor.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a plural compartment container having a windowed compartment for displaying goods received therein and an unwindowed compartment for receiving accessory items such as premiums or relatively non-displayable fittings.

Another object is to provide such a container which is relatively strong and durable and wherein the windowed compartment is resistant to pilfering and the unwindowed compartment is readily accessible for replacing or inserting accessories such as fittings and premiums.

- It is also an object to provide a plank for a plural compartment window container which is relatively economical to manufacture and relatively simple to erect.

Other objects and advantages will be readily apparent from the following detailed description and claims and the attached drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a double compartment window container embodying the present invention with one wall flap of the unwindowed compartment opened for clarity of illustration;

FIGURE 2. is a sectional view to an enlarged scale along the line 2--2 of FIGURE 1;

1 FIGURE 3 is a plan view to a reduced scale of the blank for the container of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of another container embodiment of the present invention with the end wall flap of the unwindowed compartment opened for clarity of illustration; and

FIGURE 5 is a plan view to a reduced scale of the blank for the container of FIGURE 4.

It has now been found that the foregoing and related objects may be readily attained by a container having a frame of relatively rigid and opaque sheet material with a plurality of hingedly connected wall panels defining the several sides of the container and'an interior partition wall dividing the interior of the container into two compartments. Adjacent wall panels of one of the compartments have an aperture therein which extends across the hinged interconnection therebetween to provide a large window opening in the one compartment. A window of semi-rigid synthetic plastic sheet material extends across the window aperture and has a linear fold therein generally in alignment with the hinged interconnection between the apertured wall panels. The window is dimensioned larger than the aperature and is located within the frame so that marginal portions of the adjacent panels about the aperture overlap opposed side margins of the window generally normal to the direction of the linear fold therein. Means such as adhesive secure the window to the frame along the To secure the partition wall in position, one or more flaps are provided thereon which are secured to other panels.

i In accordance with the preferred aspect, wall panels of the windowed compartment have flaps which are destructively engaged to other panels thereof to provide a substantially inaccessible display compartment and one of the Wall panels provides a hinged closure in the other compartment to provide a readily accessible unwindowed compartment for placement of other items. The hinged closure may be an entire wall panel spaced from the partition wall or it may be a portion of one of the wall panels spaced Patented dune I, H565 to the unwindowed sideof the partition wall, and preferably is of the tuck-flap type.

The window may have a plurality of folds therein and may, in fact, be a tubular member with the frame provided by a pair of cap members on the ends of such a tubular window structure. One of the cap members may be dimensioned larger than the other and is provided with a partition wall panel therein extending parallel to and spaced from the end wall thereof to provide an unwindowed compartment within the interior of the cap member.

Preferably, the frame member is integrally formed of paperboard sheet material and the window aperture is removed from the confines thereof for a generally stronger structure which may be readily and economically fabricated.

By use of the semi-rigid synthetic plastic sheet material and securing it to the paperboard frame, a relatively high strength windowed container is obtained. The container is rapidly and easily erected from a blank comprised of a window of semi-rigid synthetic plastic sheet material which is secured to a frame of relatively rigid and opaque sheet material which overlaps at least two opposed side margins of the window and has a plurality of weakening lines therein defining folds to be made in forming the side walls of the container and a partition wall which will divide I the interior of the container into two compartments. At

least one of the weakening lines intersects the side margins of the window and the partition wall portion of theframe is spaced from the window so that the one compartment will be unwindowed. The partition wall portion has a flap thereon which will engage with one of the side walls of the container to maintain the partition wall in position.

Preferably, wall portions of the frame providing the windowed compartment have flaps hingedly connected theretoby weakening lines which may be destructively engaged to other wall portions thereof'to provide a substantially inaccessible windowed compartment and a wall portion of the blank providing the unwindowed compartment has a tuck flap hingedly connected thereto by a weakening line to provide a hinged closure for ready access.

For rapid and convenient cold-folding of the blank, the techniques disclosed in applicants copending United States patent application Serial Number 191,018, filed April 30, 1962, and entitled Container and Method of Making Same, may be utilized or the window may be secured to the frame at one side of the fold line only to permit relative slippage between the window on the other side of the fold line and the other panels of the, frame during the folding process. A general disclosure for a method and apparatus for cold-folding unscored synthetic plastic sheet material is found in applicantfs United States Patent Number 2,9 54,725, issued October 4, 1960, and entitled Method and Apparatus for Folding Plastic Sheet Stock. To permit folding of the container on conventional folding equipment, the window may be scored along the fold line albeit with loss in strength. i I

Referring now in detail to the drawings, FIGURES 1-3 illustrate a six-sided container embodying the present invention and having a frame of relatively rigid and opaque sheet material, such as paperboard, generally designated by the numeral 2, and a folded window of semi-rigid synthetic plastic sheet material generally designated by the numeral 4-.

As best seen in the blank illustrated in FIGURE 3, the frame 2 is integrally formed and is provided with transverse score or weakening lines 6 and cut so as to define and provide in the erected container a-top wall panel 8, a front wall panel It a bottom wall panel 12, a rear wall panel 14, a spacing panel 16, a partition wall panel 13 and a glue flap 20. These transverse panels provide a generally rectangular body for the erected container with the interior divided by the partition wall panel 18 into a windowed compartment. generally desighated by the numeral 22' and a smaller unwindowed compartment generally designated by the numeral 24.

The side walls of the container are defined by cuts and longitudinal score'lines 26. which provide the sid'e wall panel portions 28 hingedly connected to the bottom wall panel- 12 adjacent the' front wall panel and by side closure portions 30" hingedly connected to the top wall sidewall panel portions 28" for engagement by adhesive (not shown)'to.thetop'wall panel 3, the front wall panel 10 and the partition wall panel 18 to maintain the container in erected positioniand render the windowed cornpartment 22 substantially inaccessible exceptupon destruction of the container.

In the illustrated embodiment;.the frame 2 has a window aperture 44 therein of generally rectangular configuration which extends through the portion of the top wall panel 8 overlying the windowed compartment 22.

and into the front wall panel 10 across the score line 6a defining the interconnection therebetween.

Referring now in detail to the" window 4, the configuration thereof also is best seen in'the blank illustrated in FIGURE3. The window 4 is of substantially rectangular configuration and is of larger dimension than therwindow aperture 44 so that marginal portions of the frame.

2 adjacent the window aperture 44 overlap the corresponding marginal portions thereof. As seen in FIGURE 1, the window 4 is folded about the linear fold line 46 registering with the weakening lin'e 6d defining the interconnection between the top and front wall panels 8, 10'

to form a top wall portion 48 and a front wall portion 50;

In this embodiment, the thickness of the plastic sheet material at the fold line is accommodated in accordance. with the teachings of the aforementioned. copending United States patent application Serial Number 191,018

by providing notched out portions 52 in the window at the fold line 46 and, inwardly projecting finger portions 54 on the frame at the weakening l-ine 6a which overlap the margins of the notched-out portions 52. A layer, of adhesive shown by the stippling designatedby the numeral 56 inFIGURE. 3 bonds the window 4 to the frame 2' along the overlapping marginal portions but terminates adjacent the finger portions 54 so as. to permit relative slippage thereat between the window and frame.

'Alt'ernatively, the window may be secured to the top wall panel sent so that relative slippage between the. front wall portion 50 of the window 4 and the front wall panel 10 may occur upon folding so as to accommodate;

the thickness of the synthetic plastic sheet material atthe fold line 46 by downward displacement.

7 Although cold-folding of an unscored blank in accord-1 ancewith applicants' aforementioned United StatesPatent Number 2,954,725 is preferable for greater strength, scorthe plastic member spaced therefrom and generally indicated by the numeral 104. The cap members 102, 104 each are cut,

and provided with transverse score or weakening lines 106 which define the four side wallpanels 108,110, 112 and 114. The cap 102is of larger dimension than the cap 104 and additionally is cut to provide aconnecting flap 116 hingedly connected at the fold line 1064 to one ing of the plastic sheet material along the fold line 46 'v'idesample rigidity for this .purpose.

end thereof and a glue flap 13 hingedly connected at thefold' line 1065 to the other endthereof. e

Longitudinalscore or weakening lines 120 define dust flaps 122, 124' hingedly connected to the side wall panels 110, 114, an end wall closure panel 126 on the cap member 102 which is hingedly connected to the. side wall panel lils'and has a tuck flap *1 28 at the outer end thereof, and a pair of relatively narrow end wall closure panels 131 132 on the cap member 1134- Which arehingedly connected to the. side wallpanels 112, 108. The longitudinal score lines 120 also define an elongatedpartion Wall panel 134 and a. glue flap 13.61atith e outer end thereof.

v The window generally designatedby the numeral 14 is formed of' semi-rigid synthetic plastic sheet material and has curvilinear notches 142 at ,the' intended fold lines 144 generally in alignment vwiththe transverse score lines 1416' of the paperboard frame. The cap members 102, 104 overlap the opposed edges of the, window and have inwardly projecting finger portions 146 which overlap the margins of the notches, 142 in the window. .As in the'embod-iment of FIGURES 1-3, the adhesive layer 147 bonding the window 14010 the cap members 102 and 1114 and shown by the stippling in FIGURES terminates adjacent the finger portions 146 to permit relative slippage therebetween. I

When theblank is erected, the window 140 is provided with linear folds 144 which are generally aligned with the folds of the frame and results in a tubular. window element having side wallportions 148, 150*, 152' and 154. To maintain strength in the assembly, a locking flap portion 156 is preferably formed on the side wall portion 148 and secured: to the side wall portion 154 by adhesive, heat-sealing orother suitable means (not shown). The end wall closure panels 130, 132 of the. cap member 104 are secured to the dust flaps 122, 124 by' adhesive (not shown) to produce a defstructively engaged end wall closure. for the. windowed compartment. The glue flap 118 of the cap member 102 is secured. to the side wall panel 108. by. adhesive (not shown). and the, connecting panel" 116 is folded against the surface of the side wall panel 114' and the partition wallpanel 134 extends across the interior of the cap member 102 and is secured to the side wall panel 110 by the. glue; flap 136 and adhesive (not shown). A'readily released hinged tuck-type closure for the cap member 102' is provided by the end wall closure panel 126 and the dust flaps 122, 124... In this manner, a readily accessible unwindowed compartment is provided within the cap member 102.

The frame may be. readily fabricated from paperboard sheet material of 12" to 50 mils in thickness, .which pro Since the paperboard may be dyed or printed readily,'wide variations in appearance of the container. are possible.

The synthetic plastic sheet material. empioyedrerthe window should be semi-rigid withsufficient flexibility to accommodate stresses and impacts occurring during normal usage. The material .preferablyshould have the characteristics of being foldable in accordance with the method of the aforementioned United 'StatesPatent Number 2,954,725 andi'of. substantiallyretaining afold made therein to permit cold-folding in'accordance,therewith for rapid operation with unscored blanks to provide highstrength folds.

Exemplary of the various synthetic plastic sheet-ings which may be employed are biaxially oriented polystyrene, cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate'butyrate, polyvinyl chloride-acetate copolymer,'pol'yethyleiieand poly propylene. As aspecific example of a highly advantageous material, biaxially' oriented polystyrene ofiabout 5 to 15 mils has been particularly'eife'ctive becauseofits clarity, high strength 'andsemi-rigidity coupled with sufficient resiliency and flexibility top'rovidedurable folds and resistance to normalimpacts.

As can be readily appreciated, the presentinvention provides a plural compartment container having a windowed compartment for displaying goods received therein and an unwindowed compartment which may be readily opened for inserting accessory items. The windowed compartment may be substantially inaccessible to prevent pilfering or damage to the displayed goods and the container is relatively strong by reason of the cooperation between the semi-rigid window material and relatively rigid frame material. This relatively strong and durable container is easily folded and assembled from a single blank which is conveniently made from readily available and relatively inexpensive materials to provide a highly attractive plural compartment window container.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A plur-al'compartment window container having a windowed compartment and an unwindowed compartment, said container having a frame of relatively rigid and opaque sheet material with a plurality of hingedly connected wall panels defining the several sides of the container and an interior partition wall dividing the interior of said container into two compartments, adjacent wall panels of one of said compartments having an aperture therein extending across the hinged interconnection therebetween, one of the other wall panels providing a hinged closure for the other of said compartments and the wall panels defining said one compartment being destructively engaged and providing a substantially inaccessible windowed compartment and a readily accessible unwindowed compartment, a window of semi-rigid synthetic plastic sheet material having a linear fold therein in general alignment with the hinged interconnection between said apertured adjacent wall panels, said adjacent panels of the frame having marginal portions adjacent said aperture overlapping opposed side margins of said window generally normal to the direction of the fold in said window; and means securing said window to said frame along said overlapping side margins.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein said frame is formed of paperboard sheet material and said plastic sheet material is biaxially oriented polystyrene of about 5 to 15 mils thickness.

3. A plural compartment window container having a windowed compartment and an unwindowed compartment, said container having a frame of relatively rigid and opaque sheet material, a window of transparent, semirigid sheet material and means securing said window to said frame, said frame having -a plurality of hingedly connected wall panels providing the top, bottom, side and end walls of said container and a partition wall extending across the interior of said container intermediate said end Walls dividing the interior of said container into two compartments, said frame having a flap hingedly connected to said partition wall panel engaged to one of the other of said wall panels maintaining said partition wall panel in position, adjacent wall panels spaced towards one end of said container from said partition wall panel having a window aperture therein extending across the hinged interconnection therebetween, the marginal portions of said adjacent wall panels generally norm-a1 to the hinged connection therebetween overlapping opposed side margins of said window and said window having a linear fold therein in general alignment with the hinged connection between said adjacent panels, one of said wall panels towards the other end of said container from said partition wall providing a hinged closure for the unwindowed compartment'to permit ready access thereto, said frame having flaps hingedly connected to a plurality of wall panels providing the windowed compartment destructively engaged with other wall panels to render said windowed compartment substantially inaccessible and said means securing said window to said frame along said overlap ping side margins.

The container of claim 3 wherein said frame is integrally formed of paperboard sheet material.

5. A plural compartment container having a windowed compartment and an unwindowed compartment, said container having a frame of relatively rigid and opaque sheet material and a window of semi-rigid synthetic plastic sheet material formed of a pair of spaced-apart cap members each having a plurality of hingedly connected wall panels defining top, bottom, end and a pair of side wall panel portions, one of said cap members having an interior partition wall panel extending parallel to and spaced from the end wall panel thereof but spaced inwardly of the opposite end of said one cap member providing an unwindowed compartment therein, said interior partition wall panel being hingedly connected to one of the other panels of said one cap member and engaged to another maintain ing said partition wall panel in position said end wall panel of said one cap member being releasably engaged in closed position and providing a hinged closure for a readily accessible unwindowed compartment and said one end wall panel of the other of said cap members being destructively engaged with another of the wall panels thereof and providing a substantially inaccessible windowed compartment; a tubular window member of semi-rigid synthetic plastic sheet material having a plurality of linear folds therein generally aligned with the hinged interconnections between the side and top and bottom wall panels of said cap members, the opposed margins of the side, bottom and top wall portions of said cap members overlapping the edges of said tubular plastic window; and means securing said window to said frame along said overlapping margins.

6. A six-sided plural compartment window container having a windowed compartment and an unwindowed compartment, said container having a window of semirigid synthetic plastic sheet material having a linear fold therein; an integrally formed frame of relatively rigid and opaque sheet material with a plurality of hingedly connected wall panels defining the six sides of the container and an interior partition wall dividing the interior of the container into two compartments, said frame having a hinged flap on said partition wall panel secured to another of said wall panels maintaining said partition panel in position, said frame having an aperture therein to one side of said partition wall panel and extending into adjaent wall panels about the hinged interconnection therebetween, said aperture generally conforming to the periphery of said window and being of lesser dimension providing marginal portions on said frame adjacent said aperture overlapping the edges of said window, one of the wall panels of said container providing a hinged closure to the other side of said partition wall panel which is releasably engaged with another of said wall panels providing a readily accessible unwindowed compartment, said frame having flaps hingedly connected to wall panels to said one side of said partition wall panel destructively engaged to other of said wall panels providing a substantially inaccessible windowed compartment; and means securing said window to said frame along said overlapping marginal portions.

7. The container of claim 6 wherein said opaque sheet material is paperboard and said synthetic plastic sheet material is biaxially oriented polystyrene of about 5 to 15 mils in thickness. A

.8. A blank for a six-sided plural compartment con tainer with a windowed compartment and an unwindowed compartment, said blank comprising an integrally formed window of synthetic plastic sheet material; an integrally formed frame of paperboard sheet material having an aperture therein generally conforming to the periphery of said window and of lesser dimension with marginal portions about said aperture overlapping the side margins of said window, said frame having weakening lines therein efining folds to be made in forming the six sides of the container and a partition wall dividing the interior of the container into two compartments with at least one of said weakening lines intersecting the side margins of said window, the partition wall portion of said frame being spaced from said window and having a flap thereon for engagement with one of the side walls of the container to maintain the partition wall in position upon erection of the blank to divide the interior of the erected container into a windowed compartment and an unwindowe'd compartment, said frame having additional weakening lines therein defining a tuokflap on aside wall portionspaced from said window to provide a disengageable closure for the unwin'dowecl' compartment and weakening lines defining flaps on side Wall portions adjacent said window for destructiveerigagement to other side wall portions toprovide asubstantially inaccessible windowed compartment; and meansseeuring said window to isaid'frame along said overlapping margins;

91 The blank of claim 8 wherein. said opaque sheet material is paperboard and said synthetic plastic sheet material: is' biaxially oriented polystyrene of about 5 to 15 mils in thickness.

References Cited by theExaminer- UNITED STATES PATENTS Craw-t 20648 Clemens 206-4531 Collins 20645.31 P etter; 206-4534 Kellen 22I927 Guyer 229-87 Buttery et aL 206-45.14 Thompson 206-4531 Palmer 20 6'44.12

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. 

3. A PLURAL COMPARTMENT WINDOW CONTAINER HAVING A WINDOWED COMPARTMENT AND AN UNWINDOWED COMPARTMENT, SAID CONTAINER HAVING A FRAME OF RELATIVELY RIGID AND OPAQUE SHEET MATERIAL, A WINDOW OF TRANSPARENT, SEMIRIGID SHEET MATERIAL AND MEANS SECURING SAID WINDOW TO SAID FRAME, SAID FRAME HAVING A PLURALITY OF HINGENDLY CONNECTED WALL PANELS PROVIDING THE TOP, BOTTOM, SAID AND END WALLS OF SAID CONTAINER AND A PARTITION WALL EXTENDING ACROSS THE INTERIOR OF SAID CONTAINER INTERMEDIATE SAID END WALLS DIVIDING THE INTERIOR OF SAID CONTAINER INTO TWO COMPARTMENTS, SAID FRAME HAVING A FLAP HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID PARTITION WALL PANEL ENGAGED TO ONE OF THE OTHER OF SAID WALL PANELS MAINTAINING SAID PARTITION WALL PANEL IN POSITION, ADJACENT WALL PANELS SPACED TOWARDS ONE END OF SAID CONTAINER FROM SAID PARTITION WALL PANEL HAVING A WINDOW APERTURE THEREIN EXTENDING ACROSS THE HINGED INTERCONNECTION THEREBETWEEN, THE MARGINAL PORTIONS OF SAID ADJACENT WALL PANELS GENERALLY NORMAL TO THE HINGED CONNECTION THEREBETWEEN OVERLAPPING OPPOSED SIDE MARGINS OF SID WINDOW AND SAID WINDOW HAVING A LINEAR FOLD THEREIN IN GENERAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE HINGED CONNECTIN BETWEN SAID ADJACENT PANELS, ONE OF SAID WALL PANELS TO- 